The Mandelbear's Musingshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/
The Mandelbear's Musings - Dreamwidth StudiosFri, 22 Feb 2019 06:25:57 GMTLiveJournal / Dreamwidth Studiosmdlbearpersonalhttps://v.dreamwidth.org/476191/505737The Mandelbear's Musingshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/
9696https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1662041.htmlFri, 22 Feb 2019 06:25:57 GMTGit: The other blockchainhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1662041.html
<h3>Part 1: Blockchain</h3>
<p> Blockchain is the technology behind Bitcoin and other cybercurrencies.
That's about all anyone outside the software industry knows about it; that
and the fact that lots of people are claiming that it's going to transform
everything. (The financial industry, the Web, manufacturing supply chains,
identity, the music industry, ... the list goes on.) If you happen to be
<em>in</em> the software industry and have a moderately good idea of what
blockchain is, how it works, and what it can <em>and can't</em> do, you
may want to skip to <a href="#part-2">Part 2</a>.
<p> Still with me? Here's the fifty-cent summary of blockchain. Blockchain
is a distributed, immutable ledger. Buzzword is a buzzword buzzword
buzzword? Blockchain is a chain of blocks? That's closer.
<p> The purpose of a blockchain is to keep track of financial transactions
(that's the "ledger" part) and other data by making them public (that's
half of the "distributed" part), keeping them in blocks of data (that's
the "block" part) that can't be changed (that's the "immutable" part, and
it's a really good property for a ledger to have), are linked together by
hashes (that's the "chain" part, and we'll get to what hashes are in a
moment), with the integrity of that chain guaranteed by a large group of
people (that's the other half of the "distributed" part) called "miners"
(WTF?).
<p> Let's start in the middle: how can we link blocks of data together so
that they can't be changed? Let's start by making it so that any change
to a block, or to the order of those blocks, can be detected. Then, the
fact that everything is public makes the data impossible to change without
that change being glaringly obvious. We do that with hashes.
<p> A hash function is something that takes a large block of data and turns it
into a very long sequence of bits (which we will sometimes refer to as a
"number", because any whole number can be represented by a sequence of
binary digits, and sometimes as a "hash", because the data has been
chopped up and mashed together like the corned beef hash you had for
breakfast). A good hash function has two important properties:
<ol>
<li> It's irreversible. Starting with a hash, it is effectively impossible to
construct a block of data that will produce that hash. (It is
significantly easier to construct two blocks with the same hash, which
is why the security-conscious world moves to larger hashes from time to
time.)
<li> It's unpredictable. If two blocks of data differ anywhere, even by a
single bit, their hashes will be <em>completely</em> different.
</li></li></ol>
<p> Those two together mean that if two blocks have the same hash, they
contain the same data. If somebody sends you a block and a
hash, you can compare the hash of the block and if it matches, you can be
certain that the block hasn't been damaged or tampered with before it got
to you. And if they also cryptographically <em>sign</em> that hash, you
can be certain that they used the key that created that signature.
<p> Now let's guarantee the integrity of the <em>sequence</em> of blocks by
chaining them together. Every block in the chain contains the hash of the
previous block. If block B follows block A in the chain, B's hash depends
in part on the hash of block A. If a villain tries to insert a forged
transaction into block A, its hash won't match the one in block B.
<p> Now we get to the part that makes blockchain interesting: getting
everyone to agree on which transactions go into the next block. This is
done by <em>publishing</em> transactions where all of the miners can see
them. The miners then get to work with <del>shovels and pickaxes</del>
<ins>big fast computers</ins>, validating the transaction, putting it into
a block, and then running a contest to see which of them gets to add their
block to the chain and collect the associated reward. Winning the contest
requires doing a <em>lot</em> of computation. It's been estimated that
miners' computers collectively consume roughly the same amount of
electricity as Ireland.
<p> There's more to it, but that's blockchain in a nutshell. I am
<em>not</em> going to say anything about what blockchain might be good for
besides keeping track of virtual money -- that's a whole other rabbit hole
that I'll save for another time. For now, the important thing is that
blockchain is a system for keeping track of financial transactions by
using a chain of blocks connected by hashes.
<p> The need for miners to do work is what makes the virtual money they're mining
valuable, and makes it possible for everyone to agree on who owns how much
of it without anyone having to trust anyone else. It's all that work that
makes it possible to detect cheating. It also makes it expensive and
slow. The Ethereum blockchain can handle about ten transactions per
second. Visa handles about 10,000.
<h3>The <em>other</em> blockchain</h3>
<p> Meanwhile, in another part of cyberspace, software developers are using
another system based on hash chains to keep track of their software -- a
distributed version control system called <code>git</code>. It's almost
completely different, except for the way it uses hashes. How different?
Well, for starters it's both free and fast, and you can use it at home.
And it has nothing to do with money -- it's a version control system.
<blockquote>
<p> If you've been with me for a while, you've probably figured out that I'm
extremely fond of git. This post is <em>not</em> an introduction to git
for non-programmers -- I'm working on that. However, if you managed to
get this far it does contain enough information to stand on its own,
</p></blockquote>
<p> Git doesn't use transactions and blocks; instead it uses "objects", but
just like blocks each object is identified by its hash. Instead of
keeping track of virtual money, it keeps track of files and their
histories. And just as blockchain keeps a complete history of everyone's
coins, git records the complete history of everyone's data.
<p> Git uses several types of object, but the most fundamental one is called a
"blob", and consists of a file, its size, and the word "blob". For
example, here's how git idenifies one of my Songs for Saturday posts:
<pre>git hash-object 2019/01/05--s4s-welcome-to-acousticville.html
957259dd1e41936104f72f9a8c451df50b045c57</pre>
<blockquote>
<p> Everything you do with git starts with the <code>git</code> command. In
this case we're using <code>git&nbsp;hash-object</code> and giving it the
pathname of the file we want to hash. Hardly anyone needs to use the
<code>hash-object</code> subcommand; it's used mainly for testing and the
occasional demonstration.
</p></blockquote>
<p> Git handles a <em>directory</em> (you may know directories as "folders" if
you aren't a programmer) by combining the names, metadata, and hashes of
all of its contents into a type of object called a "tree", and taking the
hash of the whole thing.
<p> Here, by the way, is another place where git really differs from blockchain.
In a blockchain, all the effort of mining goes into making sure that every
block points to its one guaranteed-unique correct predecessor. In other
words, the blocks form a chain. Files and directories form a tree, with
the ordinary files as the leaves, and directories as branches. The
directory at the top is called the root. <em>Top?</em> Top. For some
reason software trees grow from the root down. After a while you get used
to it.
<p> Actually, that's not quite accurate, because git stores each object in
exactly one place, and it's perfectly possible for the same file to be in
two different directories. This can be <em>very</em> useful -- if you
make a hundred copies of a file, git only has to store one of them. It's
also inaccurate because trees, called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle_tree">Merkle Trees</a> are
used <em>inside</em> of blocks in a blockchain. But I digress.
<blockquote>
<p> Technically the hash links in both blockchains and git form a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directed_acyclic_graph">directed
acyclic graph</a> -- that means that the links all point in one direction,
and there aren't any loops. In order to make a loop you'd have to predict
the hash of some later block, and you just can't do that. I have <a href="https://computer-curmudgeon.com/Blog/2018/09/19/single-link/">another post about why this is a good thing.</a>
</p></blockquote>
<p> And that brings us to the things that make git, git: commits. ("Commit"
is used in the same sense, more or less, as it is in the phrase "commit
something to memory", or "commit to a plan of action". It has very little
to do with crime. Hashes are even more unique than fingerprints, and we
all know what criminals think about fingerprints. In cryptography, the
hash of a key is <em>called</em> its fingerprint.)
<p> Anyway, when you're done making changes in a project, you type the command
<pre>git commit</pre>
<p> ... and git will make a new commit object which contains, among other
things, the time and date, your name and email address, maybe your
cryptographic signature, a brief description of what you did (git puts you
into your favorite text editor so you can enter this if you didn't put it
on the command line), the hash of the current root, and <em>the hash of
the previous commit</em>. Just like a blockchain.
<p> Unlike earlier version control systems, git never has to compare files;
all it has to do is compare their hashes. This is <em>fast</em> -- git's
hashes are only 20 bytes long, no matter how big the files are or how many
are in a directory tree. And if the hashes of two <em>trees</em> are the
same, git doesn't have to look at any of the blobs in those trees to know
that they are all the same.
<p>
<blockquote style="white-space: pre-wrap;">
@ <a href="https://hackernoon.com/blockchain-101-only-if-you-know-nothing-b883902c59f7">Blockchain 101 — only if you ‘know nothing’! – Hacker Noon</a>
@ <a href="https://medium.com/@sbmeunier/when-do-you-need-blockchain-decision-models-a5c40e7c9ba1">When do you need blockchain? Decision models. – Sebastien Meunier</a>
@ <a href="https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-Git-Objects">Git - Git Objects</a>
@ <a href="http://gitready.com/beginner/2009/02/17/how-git-stores-your-data.html">git ready » how git stores your data</a>
@ <a href="https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Git/Internal_structure">Git/Internal structure - Wikibooks, open books for an open world</a>
@ <a href="https://computer-curmudgeon.com/Blog/2018/09/19/single-link/">Why Singly-Linked Lists Win* | Stephen Savitzky</a>
</blockquote>
<p class="colophon"> <em>Another fine post from
<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/tag/curmudgeon">The Computer Curmudgeon</a> (also at
<a href="https://computer-curmudgeon.com/">computer-curmudgeon.com</a>).</em></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1662041" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1662041.htmlblockchaingitcurmudgeonsoftwarehashingdidacticpublic1https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661915.htmlThu, 21 Feb 2019 18:42:39 GMTThankful Thursdayhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661915.html
<p> Hmm. Thursday. Today I am grateful for
<ul>
<li> improvements in the weather, after two weeks being mostly snowed in;
<li> someone else to share cooking responsibilities with;
<li> improving health for some members of the household (though not all, and
that's worrisome);
<li> cat therapy;
<li> <code>git</code> and my expertise therewith;
<li> encouraging email from $editor (mixed feelings -- I may actually have
to do some writing).
</li></li></li></li></li></li></ul></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1661915" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661915.htmlthanksThe Jolly Beggarman (current earworm because chorus)gratefulpublic3https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661663.htmlSun, 17 Feb 2019 23:11:10 GMTDone Since 2019-02-10https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661663.html
<p> There is sadness this week, as <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8413/nasas-opportunity-rover-mission-on-mars-comes-to-end/">NASA's Opportunity Rover Mission on Mars Comes to End</a>. Oppy's last
transmission amounted to <a href="https://twitter.com/JacobMargolis/status/1095436913173880832">“My
battery is low and it’s getting dark.”</a>. Several songs have already
been written; I'll almost certainly try to write one of my own. Probably
from Oppy's POV; I seem to enjoy anthropomorphizing AIs and other
inanimate objects.
<p> Not a whole lot has been getting done this week. I did manage to run some
errands Thursday and Friday, with the car on the street. Pulled back into
the driveway Friday after things were done, anticipating that the
predicted good weather would make it possible to get up again the next
time I need to. Fingers crossed.
<p> I started working on the potential writing (tutorials) gig -- we'll see
whether $editor likes my proposal. Not many notes Friday and Saturday as a
result. Not sure I'm working fast enough. That remains to be seen; it's
going slower than I'd like but that may just be because I'm working on the
outline.
<p> If you're into music at all, you'll get a kick out of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzodB0Sp6ZI">(Gimme Some of That)
Ol' Atonal Music - YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4niz8TfY794&amp;feature=youtu.be">Twelve Tones - YouTube</a> (via <a href="https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/11723651.html">ysabetwordsmith</a>).
<p> And I was highly amused to find someone <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2019/01/in-the-era-of-electronic-warfare-bring-back-pigeons/">seriously advocating</a> the use of <a href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1149">RFC 1149</a>, some 18 years
after I wrote <a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Songs/pigeon/">a song about it</a>.
<p><span class="cuttag_container"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b>(&nbsp;<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661663.html#cutid1">Notes & links, as usual</a>&nbsp;)</b><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></span></p></p></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1661663" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661663.htmlmusicfilklinksdoneno FAWMing this week :(unknownpublic3https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661208.htmlFri, 15 Feb 2019 02:05:48 GMTThankful Thursdayhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661208.html
<p> Today I am grateful for
<ul>
<li> My family.
<li> Our cats, with extra thanks to Desti for letting me type with her on my lap.
<li> Fifteen years of Opportunity, and a lot of good memorials.
<li> Warmer weather and mostly-clear roads.
<li> Finding something that looks very much like a profitable writing gig.
</li></li></li></li></li></ul></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1661208" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661208.htmlthanksTTTO "Wild Rover"gratefulpublic1https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661160.htmlSun, 10 Feb 2019 19:41:42 GMTDone Since 2019-02-03https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661160.html
<p> So, it's been a (mostly snowbound) week. It started snowing last Sunday
morning; by Monday we had five inches and the streets were impassable.
Tuesday I drove down the driveway because C had a Wednesday appointment
and I needed to get the car charged; Wednesday we had to cancel because I
couldn't get up the driveway. Good thing, because if I had Colleen and I
would probably have gotten stuck at the bottom of some hill.
<p> I <em>was</em> able to get out Thursday and shop for staples (and L's
drugs). I had very sensibly parked on the street again. Apparently it
takes two or three days for the crews to plow and sand the streets to the
point where a two-wheel drive car can use them. C cancelled her Friday
appointment just a few minutes before they would have called <em>her</em>.
We have seven or eight inches total right now, with more on the way
tonight, Monday, and Tuesday.
<p> I've been less productive than I'd like for <a href="https://fawm.org/">FAWM</a>, but not <em>entirely</em> idle. I got <a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660078.html">my second song</a> out
on time, and then got totally stuck trying to come up with either a
follower to that one, or something about <a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660350.html">my father</a>. Total
blank. I guess, in retrospect, that getting derailed was not really
surprising, but those songs <em>really</em> want to get written. I was
rescued yesterday by <a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660672.html">a collaboration</a> with <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://pocketnaomi.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://pocketnaomi.dreamwidth.org/'><b>pocketnaomi</b></a></span>, and it <em>did</em>
involve a truck, but I'm still behind.
<p><span class="cuttag_container"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b>(&nbsp;<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661160.html#cutid1">Notes & links, as usual</a>&nbsp;)</b><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></span></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1661160" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1661160.htmldonelinksFarewell Sweet Lovely Nancy (earworm)almost productivepublic8https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660672.htmlSun, 10 Feb 2019 04:22:49 GMTSongs for Saturday: FAWM Track-03: Weird Loadhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660672.html
<p> I am falling behind in FAWM -- it's the 9th, and as of this afternoon I
had only two songs up. Now, thanks to a collaboration with <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://pocketnaomi.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://pocketnaomi.dreamwidth.org/'><b>pocketnaomi</b></a></span>, I have three (which is still behind, only not as much).
<p> Today's s4s is <a href="https://fawm.org/songs/92848/">Weird Load</a>,
and it was a heck of a lot of fun. N had the initial idea, and wrote the
chorus (including the melody). I filled in the verses, and N posted it
after some edits. Then I consed up the verse melody (which is almost the
same as the chorus). It continues my short string of truck songs,
although it's not connected at all to the other two.
<p> <span class="cuttag_container"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b>(&nbsp;<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660672.html#cutid1">Lyrics</a>&nbsp;)</b><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></span>
<p class="colophon"> <em><a href="https://fawm.org/">February Album Writing Month</a>:
<a href="https://fawm.org/fawmers/mdlbear/">FAWM.ORG/fawmers/mdlbear/</a>.</em></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1660672" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660672.htmls4smusicfawm2019see postaccomplishedpublic5https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660517.htmlFri, 08 Feb 2019 22:38:20 GMTThankful... oh, right... Fridayhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660517.html
<p> Today I am thankful...
<ul>
<li> that I was able to get Molly (our Chevy Bolt) down the (snow-covered)
driveway and on the charger Tuesday;
<li> for our newly-installed charger, that can charge Molly from empty in
nine-and-a-half hours, as opposed to fifty;
<li> that I was able to get Molly up out of the driveway yesterday, and do
some grocery shopping and drug running between snowstorms;
<li> that Colleen's appointment in Freeland was cancelled (just as she was
in the process of cancelling it herself);
<li> that I was able to retrieve Desti after the silly creature decided to
go out in the snow;
<li> that I was able to get a couple of songs written for FAWM (whether I
will manage to write any more remains to be seen);
<li> for <a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair">Boot-Repair</a>.
</li></li></li></li></li></li></li></ul></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1660517" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660517.htmlthanksgratefulpublic3https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660350.htmlTue, 05 Feb 2019 18:30:35 GMTRiver: Dad... 20https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660350.html
<p> It's been twenty years to the day since my father died. (And twenty years
plus two weeks since my mother-in-law died; that was a devastating couple
of weeks.)
<p> Since it's FAWM, I probably ought to try to write a song. But there are
two already: "<a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Songs/stuff/">The Stuff
that Dreams are Made Of</a>" and "<a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Songs/rainbow/">Rainbow's Edge</a>".
Both have pretty extensive notes; I'm not going to duplicate them here.
<p> I'm okay; it's been long enough that most of the sharp edges have worn
off. (Although, I almost posted this with 10 instead of 20 -- maybe it
hasn't been <em>that</em> long.)
<p> <a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Songs/stuff/">The Stuff that Dreams
are Made Of</a>:
<a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Songs/stuff/stuff.ogg">[ogg]</a>
<a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Songs/stuff/stuff.mp3">[mp3]</a>
<audio controls="controls">
<source src="https://steve.savitzky.net/Songs/stuff/stuff.mp3" type="audio/mp3">
<source src="https://steve.savitzky.net/Songs/stuff/stuff.ogg" type="audio/ogg">
</source></source></audio>
<p> I still find myself wanting to call and tell him something, from time to
time.</p></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1660350" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660350.htmlrivergriefdadThe Stuff That Dreams Are Made Ofsadpublic3https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660078.htmlTue, 05 Feb 2019 06:18:26 GMTFAWM: Track-02: "Besties"https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660078.html
<p> Today's <a href="https://fawm.org/">FAWM</a> song, the second this month,
is up: "<a href="https://fawm.org/songs/90981/">Besties</a>'.
<p> It's the anticipated follow-on to "<a href="https://fawm.org/songs/90009/">Twenty-First Century Breakup Song</a>". I'm very unhappy with the audio
of the first two verses; it's still very unstable and was even more so
when I made the recording.
<p> As the liner notes say, as soon as I'd written "Twenty-First Century
Breakup Song", it was clear that I had to write the other part of the
story. The only question was whose point of view to use, and that
answered itself with the first line.
<p> <span class="cuttag_container"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b>(&nbsp;<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660078.html#cutid1">lyrics, if you don't want to click through or prefer indented choruses</a>&nbsp;)</b><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></span>
<p> (Just as an aside, it's really hard to type with a warm, cuddly cat in
one's lap. Should I write a song about you, Desti?)
<p> It's been suggested (see comments on the song page) that this could turn
into a theme album. I'm not sure I can sustain it for a full month, but
there's certainly enough material in this story for an EP. *rubs hands
together gleefully*
<p class="colophon"> <em><a href="https://fawm.org/">February Album Writing Month</a>:
<a href="https://fawm.org/fawmers/mdlbear/">FAWM.ORG/fawmers/mdlbear/</a>.</em></p></p></p></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1660078" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1660078.htmlfawmmusicFebruary Album Writing Monthaccomplishedpublic11https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659831.htmlMon, 04 Feb 2019 04:32:20 GMTDone Since 2019-01-28https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659831.html
<p> Good grief! Got so wrapped in songwriting -- or is that <a href="https://fawm.org/fawmers/mdlbear/">FAWM</a>writing -- that I didn't
notice it was Sunday. I will attempt to rectify that error.
<p> I managed to start FAWM (February Album-Writing Month, in case you missed
the announcements) pretty well; the <a href="https://fawm.org/fawmers/mdlbear/">silly thing</a>'s been well
received, I think. You can also see the lyrics on <a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659483.html">yesterday's Songs for
Saturday</a>, but you'll have to click through to FAWM if you want the
audio. Which is not too bad for something that was slapped together in
under an hour. It's only the one song so far, we'll see whether I can
make a second song come together by tomorrow night.
<p> Related to that, I finally got around to uploading <a href="https://stevesavitzky.bandcamp.com/album/coffee-computers-and-song"><cite>Coffee, Computers, and Song</cite> to bandcamp</a>
<p> It's still snowing here on Whidbey; we're well on our way to getting the
predicted 3-4 inches. I am not crazy about driving in snow, but I can do
it when I have to. I parked on the street this evening; I don't know what
the driveway is going to be like after the slush freezes, but I don't
really <em>want</em> to know.
<p> The most useful links this week are probably the ones on Monday about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Privacy_Day">Data Privacy
Day</a>.
<p><span class="cuttag_container"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b>(&nbsp;<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659831.html#cutid1">Notes & links, as usual</a>&nbsp;)</b><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></span></p></p></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1659831" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659831.htmlweatherlinksdonelots of it, on FAWM.orgtiredpublic2https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659483.htmlSun, 03 Feb 2019 05:01:32 GMTSongs for Saturday: FAWM, track 1.https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659483.html
<p> Since I'm doing <a href="https://fawm.org/">FAWM (February Album-Writing
Month)</a> (for the first time), and I've just uploaded my first song, and
it's Saturday, I'm going to subject you to it.
<p> The song in question is "<a href="https://fawm.org/songs/90009/">Twenty-First Century Breakup Song</a>", and it even has an audio track.
<span class="cuttag_container"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b>(&nbsp;<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659483.html#cutid1">lyrics, just for the record</a>&nbsp;)</b><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></span>
<p> By the end of yesterday I'd squeezed out a four line verse and what looked
like three lines of a chorus. The chorus actually made it all the way
into the final song, having acquired two more lines. It took me a most of
today to make the verses work, but when I got the last verse to come
together I knew it was going to work.
<p> The melody came together in less than an hour. That often happens; I tend
to start hearing bits of it in my head while I'm writing. D is an easy
key to play, and generally a good one for me to sing in.</p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1659483" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659483.htmlmusics4ssee postaccomplishedpublic5https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659145.htmlFri, 01 Feb 2019 12:51:41 GMTRabbit Rabbit Rabbithttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659145.html
<p> Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit
<p> Also, <a href="https://fawm.org/">FAWM</a>.</p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1659145" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1659145.htmlrabbitFAWM startingdubiouspublic1https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658934.htmlThu, 31 Jan 2019 23:00:26 GMTThankful Thursdayhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658934.html
<p> How did it get to be Thursday again so fast? Today I am grateful for...
<ul>
<li> <a href="https://fawm.org/">FAWM.ORG</a> for giving me a reason to get
off my butt and <em>do something</em> creative...
<li> ... and also giving me an incentive to put
<a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Coffee_Computers_and_Song/">Coffee, Computers and Song</a> up on <a href="https://stevesavitzky.bandcamp.com//album/coffee-computers-and-song">Bandcamp</a>...
<li> ... and that it hasn't started yet, so I can be grateful for it without
knowing whether I will actually <em>have</em> any creativity to be
grateful for next week.
<li> The electricians, who are <em>finally</em> installing the car charger
outlet, and the outlets in the garage that I expect to be plugging
shop lights into.
<li> As always, my family...
<li> ... including our quadrupedal family members.
</li></li></li></li></li></li></ul></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1658934" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658934.htmlthanksFAWM starts tomorrowgratefulpublic0https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658725.htmlThu, 31 Jan 2019 22:19:30 GMTMusic: Coffee, Computers, and Song - Now on Bandcamphttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658725.html
<p> <a href="https://fawm.org/fawmers/mdlbear/">FAWM</a> (February
Album-Writing Month) starts tomorrow. In a not-entirely-unconnected
event, I have (finally!) put <a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Coffee_Computers_and_Song/">Coffee, Computers and Song</a> up on <a href="https://stevesavitzky.bandcamp.com//album/coffee-computers-and-song">Bandcamp</a>.
<p> I'm going to use the fact that Bandcamp (started in 2008) didn't exist
when I released the album (2007) as an excuse for not having done this
sooner. I know, pretty lame. But joining a site that asks for a Bandcamp
link if you have one makes as good a reason as any.
<p> I should also add that it's still available on <a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/stevesavitzky">CD Baby Music Store</a>, which also has
actual, physical CDs to sell you.</p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1658725" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658725.htmlmusicbandcampccsCoffee, Computers, and Song on Bandcamp now; FAWM tomorrowbelatedly productivepublic4https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658399.htmlMon, 28 Jan 2019 18:57:46 GMTDone Since 2019-01-20https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658399.html
<p> This is coming out on a Monday rather than Sunday because I spent the
weekend at <a href="https://conflikt.org/">Conflikt</a>, our local filk
music convention. I'm usually too lazy to do a formal con report, and
this lets me collect all the notes in one place that's easy to find
.
<blockquote>
<p> <em>Meta:</em> rather than create tags like <code>conflikt-2019</code>, I
use the two tags <a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/tag/conflikt"><code>conflikt</code></a> and <a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/tag/2019"><code>2019</code></a>.
This only works if the year tag is <em>only</em> used for events that
occur annually. Using the same tag for every post in a year would be
pretty useless. DW doesn't appear to give you boolean searches, but I can
do it in my archive.
</p></blockquote>
<p> I didn't have a concert slot this year, and didn't feel up to a twofer, so
my own music-making was confined to a little noodling in the hallways and
a couple of songs on Sunday. One of those was following Frank Hayes's
"When I Was a Boy" with <a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Songs/lad/">my parody of it</a>; that was a major win. Ad-libbed a reference to
RFC-1149, and "talk about spaghetti code" after the line about
plugboards. But, yeah; not enough singing. Not enough conversation,
either.
<p> I think my favorite concert was Lauren Cox's Interfilk Guest concert; her
song about her cat made me tear up a little. That, and her joining Cat
Faber on "I Will Remember" (about depression) on Sunday.
<p> I got in my request for a concert slot next year; we'll see how far that
goes.
<p> The week also included a <a href="http://www.eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/2001-2100/LE2019Jan21Tprime.html">total lunar eclipse</a> -- I didn't stay outside for the whole thing, but
got a good look just at the start of totality.
<p><span class="cuttag_container"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b>(&nbsp;<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658399.html#cutid1">Notes & links, as usual</a>&nbsp;)</b><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></span></p></p></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1658399" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658399.htmlfilk2019confliktlinksdoneconsYes: spent the weekend at Confliktpublic8https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658276.htmlFri, 25 Jan 2019 03:52:49 GMTThankful Thursdayhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658276.html
<p> Today I am grateful for...
<ul>
<li> Housemates who can cook.
<li> Family members getting the health care they need.
<li> Firefox. Also, other software made by people who give a damn about
privacy.
<li> <a href="https://mynoise.net/">mynoise.net</a>
<li> A second week without a trip to the ER.
</li></li></li></li></li></ul></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1658276" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1658276.htmlthanksall this weekendgratefulpublic3https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657946.htmlThu, 24 Jan 2019 22:16:41 GMTIcon Memehttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657946.html
<p> <q>How it works: reply with "Oh! Shiny" and I'll choose three of your
icons. Tell me about them: where they came from, what they mean to you,
and/or when you deploy them. Drop a link here to your post in your own
journal. Spread it around.</q>
<p> (Not sure how long it will take me, if there's a deluge of responses.)
<hr />
<p> <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://jesse-the-k.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://jesse-the-k.dreamwidth.org/'><b>jesse_the_k</b></a></span> <a href="https://jesse-the-k.dreamwidth.org/284284.html?thread=1607036#cmt1607036">asked me about</a>:
<p> "My fandom predates TV"
<p> A stylized, multicolor line drawing of a propeller beanie. The outlined
gores are colored (left to right) red, purple, and blue; there are white
spaces between them. The propeller is a green infinity sign.
<p> <img src="https://v.dreamwidth.org/812381/505737" alt="described in entry" width="100px" height="" border="10" align="" />
<p> I got this from <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://lysana.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://lysana.livejournal.com/'><b>lysana</b></a></span>; it looks like
it was made by her artist husband <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://blackfyr.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://blackfyr.livejournal.com/'><b>blackfyr</b></a></span>. It has fallen out of use recently; I used it 26
times, between 2004 and 2011, for posts about science fiction fandom or
conventions.
<p> The icon isn't completely accurate; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction_fandom">Science
fiction fandom</a> as we know it today dates back only to 1929. Philo
Farnsworth demonstrated the first electronic television, using his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_dissector">image dissector</a>
tube, in 1928, and mechanical versions existed before then. Television
<em>broadcasting</em>, however, only started in the late 1930s.
<hr />
<p> "hacker traveling"
<p> The background is a 3x3 grid of black lines on a white background; five
black circles make a "glider", instantly familiar to anyone who knows
about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_Game_of_Life">Conway's Game of Life</a>. Against this background a picture of an old
guy in a tweed cap moves counter-clockwise in a circle centered somewhere in the
lower right-hand corner.
<p> <img src="https://v.dreamwidth.org/812434/505737" alt="described in entry" width="100px" height="" border="10" align="" />
<p> This icon was made by <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://snobahr.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif' alt='[livejournal.com profile] ' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' width='17' height='17'/></a><a href='http://snobahr.livejournal.com/'><b>snobahr</b></a></span>, in
2007; the moving image came from the cover of my CD, <a href="https://steve.savitzky.net/Coffee_Computers_and_Song/"><cite>Coffee, Computers and Song</cite></a>, which was in production at
the time. It was first used in <a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/643858.html">this post</a>, the
second of two posts from OSCon 2007. It was used a total of 30 times in
2007 and 2008, once in 2009, and once in 2012, mostly for posts about
software-related conventions.
<hr />
<p> Consonance<br>
On a purple background, the word "CONSONANCE", in black. The letters are compressed
toward the top, and the two "N"'s are the support towers of the Golden
Gate Bridge.
<p> <img src="https://v.dreamwidth.org/812430/505737" alt="described in entry" width="100px" height="" border="10" align="" />
<p> This is the logo of <a href="http://www.consonance.org/">Consonance - The
SF Bay Area Filk Convention</a>. Colleen and I attended all of them until
2012, when we moved to Seattle, and a few after that; our last one was in
2015. This icon appears to have been used only once, in <a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/557207.html">this post</a>,
live-blogged from the Interfilk concert.</p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1657946" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657946.htmlmemeiconsmetapublic9https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657612.htmlWed, 23 Jan 2019 21:52:26 GMTThis Week in Social Mediahttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657612.html
<p> Interesting couple of articles on Ars Technica:
<p> Nostalgia: <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/01/the-linux-of-social-media-how-livejournal-pioneered-then-lost-web-blogging/">“The Linux of social media”—How LiveJournal pioneered (then lost)
blogging</a> (h/t to <a href="https://wcg.dreamwidth.org/1638244.html">wcg</a>)
<p> Pre-nostalgia: <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/12/tumblrs-porn-ban-is-going-about-as-badly-as-expected/">Tumblr’s porn ban is going about as badly as expected | Ars Technica</a>
<p class="colophon"> <em>Another fine post from
<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/tag/curmudgeon">The Computer Curmudgeon</a> (also at
<a href="https://computer-curmudgeon.com/">computer-curmudgeon.com</a>).</em></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1657612" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657612.htmlcomputerssocialmetacurmudgeonbloggingTapsdidacticpublic2https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657420.htmlSun, 20 Jan 2019 22:36:16 GMTDone Since 2019-01-13https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657420.html
<p> I'm still not getting as much real work done as I need to, so I'm still
down on myself as usual, but I've gotten a few, mostly less important,
things done.
<p> I actually did a little hacking this week: we wanted to put the music
collection onto an mp3 player for m, so I had to transcode the existing
collection, most of which is in ogg vorbis. I realized that I could
shrink them considerably in the process, which got all the folk and filk
in under 20GB. The whole thing will almost certainly come in under 64GB,
and micro SD cards that size are getting cheap. There was a moderate
amount of bash scripting involved. There will be even more next time; the
server is about a quarter the speed of my fastest laptop.
<p> I seem to be the official household recipient for dead or dubious
electronics. It's not that I'm necessarily capable of fixing it, just
that I'm the only one who <em>might</em> consider it worth attempting.
Not that I actually <em>do</em> attempt it in all cases; that's why I also
maintain the household's collection of dead phones and tablets. However,
I've gotten pretty good at simple laptop repair and linux installs.
<p> Top link for the week goes to <a href="https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/rainNoiseGenerator.php">The
Ultimate Rain Sound Generator</a>, which includes a very effective
conversation-blocker setting. If you prefer something other than rain its
parent site, <a href="http://mynoise.net/">myNoise.net</a>, has an
enormous number of alternatives. Done by <a href="https://stephanepigeon.com/sounddesign.php">Stéphane Pigeon</a>,
who also built (the internet has a cat)<a href="http://purrli.com/">Purrli</a>.
<p> Also, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.wtf">.wtf</a> is a
top-level domain. WTF??!
<p><span class="cuttag_container"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b>(&nbsp;<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657420.html#cutid1">Notes & links, as usual</a>&nbsp;)</b><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></span></p></p></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1657420" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657420.htmldonelinkslots, transcoded to mp3. Also, synthetic rain.public8https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657256.htmlSun, 20 Jan 2019 04:52:56 GMTTomorrow Night's Total Lunar Eclipsehttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657256.html
<p> There will be a total lunar eclipse tomorrow night. The entire eclipse
will be visible from anywhere in the Americas and Europe. Here on Whidbey
Island, the eclipse starts at 7:33pm and ends at 10:50pm; totality runs
from 8:41 to 9:43pm. This is going to be a <em>glorious</em> eclipse.
According to <a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/">Astronomy Picture of
the Day</a>, the next total lunar eclipse visible from <em>anywhere on the
planet</em> will be on May 26, 2021, and will last 15 minutes.
<p> Details, and times for your location, can be found at: <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2019-january-21">Total
Lunar Eclipse on January 20–21, 2019 – Where and When to See</a>
<p> ETA: of course, this is the Pacific Northwest. It will probably be raining.</p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1657256" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1657256.htmlpsaastronomyeclipseClair de Lunepublic3https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656925.htmlSat, 19 Jan 2019 05:43:04 GMTYet Another Data Breachhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656925.html
<p> It's getting so that data breaches aren't news anymore unless they're
huge. The Gizmodo article calls it <a href="https://gizmodo.com/mother-of-all-breaches-exposes-773-million-emails-21-m-1831833456">The Mother of All Breaches</a>, exposing 773 million email addresses and 21
million passwords. There's a more complete post by <a href="https://www.troyhunt.com/the-773-million-record-collection-1-data-reach/">Troy Hunt: The 773 Million Record "Collection #1" Data Breach</a>. Hunt
is the person behind the <a href="https://haveibeenpwned.com/">Have I
Been Pwned</a> website. That should be your next stop -- it lets you
check to see which of your email addresses, usernames, and passwords have
appeared in any data breach.
<p> If your password shows up in <a href="https://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords">Pwned Passwords</a>, stop
using it. Consider enabling two-factor authentication where you can, and
getting a password vault. Hunt recommends <a href="https://1password.com/">1Password</a>. If you want open source,
you can try <a href="https://www.keepassx.org/">KeePassX</a>.
<p class="colophon"> <em>Another fine post from
<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/tag/curmudgeon">The Computer Curmudgeon</a> (also at
<a href="https://computer-curmudgeon.com/">computer-curmudgeon.com</a>).</em></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1656925" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656925.htmlcomputerscurmudgeonrain sounds from https://mynoise.net/didacticpublic3https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656830.htmlFri, 18 Jan 2019 01:22:09 GMTThankful Thursdayhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656830.html
<p> Today I am grateful for
<ul>
<li> A callback from a prospective employer. (I still don't really expect
this to go much farther, and I suspect that <em>any</em> job at this
point in my life is a stretch, but we'll see.)
<li> The occasional recruiter on LinkedIn
<li> Family members getting the health care they need.
<li> Housemates. (Continuing the household tradition of taking in stray
puppies and lost sheep.)
<li> <a href="https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/rainNoiseGenerator.php">The Ultimate Rain Sound Generator</a>, which includes a very effective
conversation-blocker setting.
<li> Ginger and dark chocolate, for throat-soothing.
<li> Just possibly, getting off my arse and doing stuff.
</li></li></li></li></li></li></li></ul></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1656830" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656830.htmlthanksmostly yesterdaygratefulpublic2https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656438.htmlSun, 13 Jan 2019 21:21:44 GMTDone Since 2019-01-06https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656438.html
<p> I'm not sure where this week went. It doesn't feel as though I did very
much. (And looking over the notes, that seems fairly accurate.) As
usual.
<p> I got a little more done than usual about the yard (which is a disaster)
and the garage (likewise). However, since "usual" is nothing at all,
that's not saying much. And since "usual" has been going on for over a
year...
<p> I'm not finding a lot to say about this week, so I think I'll stop here.
There are some good links about privacy under the cut; probably the most
generally useful is <a href="https://spreadprivacy.com/device-privacy-protection/">How to Set Up Your Devices for Privacy Protection</a> from
DuckDuckGo.com, which is a search engine that doesn't track you, and which
I also recommend.
<p><span class="cuttag_container"><span style="display: none;" id="span-cuttag___1" class="cuttag"></span><b>(&nbsp;<a href="https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656438.html#cutid1">Notes & links, as usual</a>&nbsp;)</b><div style="display: none;" id="div-cuttag___1" aria-live="assertive"></div></span></p></p></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1656438" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656438.htmldonelinkssomeblankpublic8https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656155.htmlFri, 11 Jan 2019 07:11:32 GMTThankful Thursdayhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656155.html
<p> How the F*** did it get to be Thursday? I wasn't done with Tuesday yet!
<p> Today I am thankful for:
<ul>
<li> Motivation, when (and if) I can find it
<li> Informative websites
<li> Cuddly cats
<li> A little extra money never hurts
<li> Being able to make a little extra space
</li></li></li></li></li></ul></p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1656155" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1656155.htmlthanksgratefulpublic3https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1655837.htmlWed, 09 Jan 2019 14:57:12 GMTSignal Boost: Markdown on Dreamwidthhttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1655837.html
<p> Signal boost: <a href="https://jesse-the-k.dreamwidth.org/281885.html">jesse_the_k | Markdown Simplifies Formatting Your DW Posts</a>.
<p> Markdown is a popular plain-text markup language that strongly resembles
the conventions of email. In fact, posting by email has used markdown for
a long time; you can now use it for posting by using the HTML editor and
starting your post with <code>!markdown</code>. It also works if you're
using a client that takes raw HTML, such as <code>charm</code> or
<code>MakeStuff</code>. See Jesse's post for the cheat-sheet, or go to
the official spec, at <a href="https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax">https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax</a>. Note that most
GitHub extensions, e.g. code fencing with triple backticks, are
<em>not</em> supported. At least, not yet. There is one DW-specific
extension: @username expands to a standard user link, e.g. <span style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/profile'><img src='https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png' alt='[personal profile] ' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: text-bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='https://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/'><b>mdlbear</b></a></span>.</p></p><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mdlbear&ditemid=1655837" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentshttps://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1655837.htmlmarkdownmetapsasignal-boostdwfanfaredidacticpublic4